Stadium College Sports
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Nationwide |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | English |
| Picture format | |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Diamond Sports Group (a joint venture between Sinclair Broadcast Group and Allen Media Group) |
| Sister channels | Tennis Channel Bally Sports Stadium |
| History | |
| Launched | June 2001 |
| Closed | December 31, 2023 |
| Former names | Fox Sports Digital Networks (2001–2004) Fox College Sports (2004–2021) |
Stadium College Sports (formerly Fox College Sports) was a group of three American sports networks. Owned by
History
The three networks were originally launched in June 2001 as Fox Sports Digital Networks as a complement to
On June 18, 2021, more than a year after the networks sold to Sinclair after having been sold to Disney as part of the 21st Century Fox purchase, and the rebranding of the FSN networks as Bally Sports in late-March of that year, the channels were quietly rebranded as Stadium College Sports, taking their name from Sinclair and Silver Chalice's national sports channel Stadium.[3] In August 2021, Verizon Fios became the first major provider to provide the networks in high-definition.
On December 31, 2021, YouTube TV announced that the three channels would be removed from their Sports Plus tier on January 1, 2022.[4] Coverage of ACC sports was lost with the move of those rights to The CW. With Sinclair's sale of their stake in Stadium in full to Silver Chalice and the Stadium network being replaced over-the-air with The Nest, Stadium College Sports was quietly and ultimately wound down on December 31, 2023.[5]
Programming
The channels are divided into three geographical areas, which are Stadium College Sports Atlantic (formerly FCS Atlantic), Stadium College Sports Central (formerly FCS Central), and Stadium College Sports Pacific (formerly FCS Pacific). In addition to the events, the network features weekly coach's shows for various universities, programs from the various
Major events include:
- Football
- Basketball
- Baseball
- Wrestling
- Hockey
- Men's & women's soccer
- Women's volleyball
- Lacrosse
- Track and field
- Gymnastics
- Swimming and diving
- Tennis
- Paintball
- Softball
The three Stadium College Sports channels generally air simulcast and live games produced by the Bally Sports networks or by Stadium through the digital only WCC Network and Mountain West Network.
Former Programming
Previously, each network sourced its programming from the various Fox Sports Networks as follows:
- FCS Atlantic: Shows MSG Plus.
- FCS Central: Shows Fox Sports Ohio
- FCS Pacific: Shows Root Sports Rocky Mountain, Root Sports Utah, and Root Sports Northwest.
- Pac-12 Conference football and basketball
- FCS Final Score, a news program similar to FSN's former program Final Score, also aired on this network at the top of the hour; it has since been cancelled.
- The National Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship
- Exclusive Home to The Paradise Jam Tournament from the Virgin Islands
- The FCS Tailgate Tour
- The NSSA College Surfing Championships
- The South Padre Invitational
- FISU International Collegiate Olympic Games every 2 years - both Winter and Summer. FCS was the exclusive domestic television carrier for these events.
References
- ^ "Fox Set to Rename Cable Sports Service | TVWeek". TV Week. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
- ^ "Fox Shuffles Cable Offerings". The New York Times. 26 May 2004. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
- ^ "Fox College Sports to become Stadium College Sports". Bend Broadband. 14 June 2021. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
- ^ Gurwin, Jason (2021-12-31). "YouTube TV Drops CNBC World, NECN, and Stadium College Sports". The Streamable. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
- ^ France, Erin (2023-12-21). "Stadium College Sports Channels Shutting Down". MIDTEL. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
- ^ "Fox College Sports Name Change: Fox College Sports will become Stadium College Sports on June 18, 2021. All programming will remain the same". Rainier Connect. 10 June 2021. Retrieved 10 June 2021.